1 86 SKETCHES IN THE HUNTING FIE ID. 



of tops in the other ; whilst over his arm were slung my 

 — in point of fact, my breeches ; a costume which I had 

 never worn except on the clay it came home, when I 

 spent the greater portion of the evening sportingly 

 arrayed astride of a chair, to see how it all felt. 



" Breakfast at nine, sir. Hounds meet at Blackbrook 

 at half-joast ten ; and it's a good way to ride," said the 

 servant. 



" The frost's all gone, I fea I hope ? " I said in- 

 quiringly. 



" Yes, sir. Lovely morning ! " he answered, drawing 

 up the blinds. 



In his opinion a lovely morning was characterised by 

 slightly damp, muggy weather ; in mine it would have 

 been a daybreak of ultra-Siberian intensity. 



I ruefully dressed, lamenting that my will was not a 

 little stronger (nor were thoughts of my other will — and 

 testament — entirely absent), that I might have fled from 

 the trial, or done something to rescue myself from the 

 exposure which I felt must shortly overwhelm me. The 

 levity of the men in the breakfast-room was a source of 

 suffering to me, and even Laura's voice jarred on my 

 ears as she petitioned her father to let her follow "just a 

 little way " — she was going to ride and see the hounds 

 " throw off," a ceremony which I devoutly hoped would 

 be confined to those animals — " because it was /c*^ hard 

 to turn back when the real enjoyment commenced ; and 

 she would be good in the pony-carriage for the rest of 

 the week." 



